Too Much Information in a guitar ad?

[Gevalt]

Is there such thing as TMI when it comes to an ad for a used guitar or amp?

Would it turn you off?

Every guitar I've ever bought had little written, and 2 pics. But when I sell, I post 24 pics and 30 lines. Mistake?

 

[Soundhog]

I think the more info the better,this way the buyer knows exactly what he is getting.Pictures tell the whole story to me.

 

[HTSMetal]

I avoid those two line ads like the plague.

In my mind it usually means the owner doesn't know much about guitars (and therefore what would be important to a buyer)...or they be hidin' something, like a Jazzmaster that was previously urinated on.

 

[Moony]

I'd say for me at least 4 photos of a guitar (front, back, fretboard/frets, headstock). Plus weight of the guitar.

Info about if it's complete stock or if there are some modifications.
If it's stock I could look up the specs by myself (though many guys copy & paste these).

Additional info about the condition, if there are any damages etc..

But all in all it's not rocket science.
If you have further questions just ask the seller.

 

[mad dog]

It's not just about information. It's about communicating enthusiasm and appreciation for the item being sold, done with subtlety. Involvement. Sounds kinda crazy, but it's not.

I was a marketing copywriter for many years, so to me a sales listing is a sort of space ad. Set the scene, features/benefits, important details so people don't have to ask. Show as many pics as you can, good ones. I try not to overdo it, for sure. The trick is to be brief, very descriptive, to the point. Sure beats a dead, two line ad with out of focus, dark pics.

 

[Goldie Glocks]

I prefer right down the middle: I like all pertinent information. But if a wall of text in a craigslist/marketplace ad it is quite the turn off. Makes me feel like you have to explain how great it is to me, which in turn makes me not want to deal with you.

 

[Mark Ray]

As long as it's not one of those where dude's reflection is in the pic, and he's rolling commando.

 

[sunking101]

A few pictures, the weight and of course that all-important matter of "does it smell?"

 

[Dave Locher]

I don't think you can give too much info as long as it is actual information and not just a lot of subjective adjectives talking about how awesome the guitar is.
I uses to buy & sell a lot of car parts on eBay and I would often buy something, decide I didn't want it, and resell it for more than I paid. I managed that by writing much longer, better, more detailed descriptions. So I consider that proof of concept.

 

[Jim85IROC]

I like ads with little or no description and a single photo so bad that Bigfoot may or may not be in the image. These are the ads that everyone else skips over, so I'll dig, ask questions and usually ask for more pics. I've gotten some great deals this way on cheaper guitars that I was able to clean up and resell for 2-3x what I paid.

 

[Bohunk]

In my mind it usually means the owner doesn't know much about guitars (and therefore what would be important to a buyer)...or they be hidin' something, like a Jazzmaster that was previously urinated on.

As long as it's not one of those where dude's reflection is in the pic, and he's rolling commando.

A few pictures, the weight and of course that all-important matter of "does it smell?"

where the hell have you guys been shopping?

 

[stratovarius]

I don't need to know why you're selling. It almost always sounds like BS.

 

[HTSMetal]

where the hell have you guys been shopping?

With regards to the urine soaked Jazzmaster -- see thread below.

you guys... this is hilarious... maybe even "rock and roll" but i need advice haha.

Drinking... is well, drinking. woke up to find my player series jazzmaster pouring liquid out of the input like the outkast ms. jackson video. please tell me I don't need to buy a new guitar... surely electronics are better than that? It luckily hasn't been plugged into anything electric. Worst...

www.thegearpage.net

 

[IAE]

Personally, I only buy from suspicious ads with very poor English, no photos (aside from the tiny stock photo ripped from guitar center) and where the seller requests I send him payment via an untraceable Western Union money transfer.

 

[muzishun]

Is there such thing as TMI when it comes to an ad for a used guitar or amp?

Would it turn you off?

Every guitar I've ever bought had little written, and 2 pics. But when I sell, I post 24 pics and 30 lines. Mistake?

I think so, yes. And, ime, yes.

People have the attention span of a gnat. Don't bore them or they will start looking at the next shiny thing they see and forget all about you.

 

[audiomo]

Is there such thing as TMI when it comes to an ad for a used guitar or amp?

Would it turn you off?

Every guitar I've ever bought had little written, and 2 pics. But when I sell, I post 24 pics and 30 lines. Mistake?

The only thing worse than too much information are when ads are written so over the top it's impossible to understand how anyone can take the shop seriously.

For example, this kind of thing which is in fact not made up but part of a current listing- "Benefiting from the midrange complexity and sonic authority of ash as a tonewood, this Jazzmaster has a full-sounding natural acoustic sound that translates faithfully through the original black bobbin pickup pair."

 

[jblake]

I just want 5-6 clear photos and the model and condition to be accurately listed. If you can do that, there’s no need to include the specs, the forum lore, the backstory of where you got it and why you’re selling it, or some worthless yarn about how the guitar was actually built by master builders who were moonlighting at the ACME guitar factory that had received a batch of good wood while the custom shop was down for retooling.

Another TMI very common around here is “Just got it back from Glaser/Carters/Corner/Sharp/Scott/Cousin Phil with a clean bill of health!” That one cuts two ways: it’s either unlikely that they actually took that Classic Vibe Tele to one of the most in-demand techs on earth, or they throw out some name that no one has ever heard of like it is supposed to add value.

 

[twoheadedboy]

Is there such thing as TMI when it comes to an ad for a used guitar or amp?

Would it turn you off?

Every guitar I've ever bought had little written, and 2 pics. But when I sell, I post 24 pics and 30 lines. Mistake?

I'll take all the information I can get about the guitar itself, as long as it's accurate. What I do not want is information about the seller's opinion of the guitar, or why they are selling it. I still cannot figure out why so many people say why they are selling a piece of gear.

 

[Steadfastly]

Is there such thing as TMI when it comes to an ad for a used guitar or amp?

Would it turn you off?

Every guitar I've ever bought had little written, and 2 pics. But when I sell, I post 24 pics and 30 lines. Mistake?

The 24 pictures are fine but the 30 lines are about 23 to 25 too many. People are looking to buy a guitar, not the history and every detail. People are reading less and less they days. I would expect a lot of people are bypassing your ads.

 

[devicaster]

So in a gear for sale ad, the one thing I don't need to know is why you're selling it.

Example, about 8 years ago I was on a crazy hunt for a very specific truck. The private sellers on some of these sites that would heap on personal details & their hardship has nothing to do with the item, unless they need to explain that its a last minute decision to let it go, so this is an AS IS sale. But even then theres a limit.

Ive seen some really embarrassing personal details mentioned on CL sales, I always wonder who some of these folks are.